Box wrench having a pivotally and slidably disposed torquing element



March 22, 1966 RAPTls 3,241,409

BOX WRENCH HAVING A PIVOTALLY AND SLIDABLY DISPOSED TORQU ELEMENT FiledApril 1964 I NVEN TOR.

% -20 GEORGE M RAFT/5 gs MAHOME); #445527 4% 1 HOEA/BA/(EE A T'TOEA/E Y5United States Patent BOX WRENCH HAVING A PIVOTALLY AND SLIDABLY DISPGSEDTORQUING ELEMENT George M. Raptis, Pacific Palisades, Califl, assignorto Briles Manufacturing, El Segundo, Calif., a co-partnershi p FiledApr. 30, 1964, Ser. No. 363,863

6 Claims. (CI. 81-94) This invention relates to a wrench and, moreparticularly, to a box wrench having a movable head member.

A box wrench is used effectively in high torque operations to applytorque simultaneously on a plurality of torquing surfaces, its advantagebeing that the torqueproducing head of the wrench completely surroundstorquing surfaces on a workpiece, such as a nut or a bolt head and,thus, torque may be applied simultaneously on a larger number oftorquing surfaces than can be accomplished with another type wrench,such as an open-head wrench. However, box wrenches in common usage havetheir head portions integrally formed with or rigidly mounted on shanks,so that such a wrench must be carefully aligned with the torquingsurfaces of the workpiece in order to mount the wrench on the workpieceor remove it therefrom, which is often difficult to accomplish,particularly when working in a confined area.

Because the wrench of the present invention has a portion of its headwhich is separately movable into and out of torquing position, it is,therefore, capable of being mounted on and removed from the workpiecemuch more readily than a normal box wrench, while still providing all ofthe high torque characteristics of a box wrench.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a boxwrench having a portion of its head which is pivotally mounted on fixedportions of the head so that the wrench may be adjustably mounted on aworkpiece, the movable portion being adapted in cooperation with thefixed portions of the head to quickly and readily assume a torquingposition on the workpiece, and the wrench may be quickly removed fromthe workpiece after torquing has been accomplished.

It is another object of the invention to provide a box wrench which isruggedly constructed for high torque action, but which may be rapidlymounted on and dismounted from the torquing head of a workpiece.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a box wrenchhaving a minimal number of parts which may be economically manufacturedand easily assembled.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a box wrench whichmay be rapidly mounted from one torquing position to another without thenecessity of completely disengaging the head of the wrench from theworkpiece,

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists of theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various elements of thedevice whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter setforth, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in Which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partially broken away, of the wrenchof the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectionalview taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view showing various elements of thehead portion of the wrench.

A box wrench, designated 10, has a shank 12. Generally cylindrical,aligned head members 14 and 16 have relatively short, aligned shanks 18and 20 which are mounted on opposite sides of one end of the shank 12,the aligned head members 14 and 16 and the aligned shanks 18 and 20being spaced apart from each other.

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Aligned through-bores 22 and 24 are formed in the head members 14 and 16respectively, the said bores 22 and 24 being disposed so as to encirclethe torquing head of a workpiece. Torquing surfaces 26 and 28, comprisedof aligned V'shaped teeth and alternating V-shaped grooves, are formedin the bores 22 and 24 respectively on the internal sides of the bores22 and 24 adjacent the shanks 18 and 20, the purpose of said torquingsurfaces 26 and 28 being to engage a mating part of a torquing surfaceon the workpiece. It has been found advantageous to provide a series offour aligned teeth and intermediate grooves in said torquing surfaces 26and 28, although a greater or lesser number of said teeth and groovesmay be provided, as desired.

An aligned through-bore 30 is formed at substantially the centers of theshanks 18 and 20, the bore 30 being disposed so as to receive a pinhereinafter mentioned.

Slidably disposed between the head members 14 and 16 is a generallycylindrical, movable head member 32 having a shank 34 which is somewhatshorter than the shanks 18 and 20, with which it is disposed to bealigned when the wrench 10 is in torquing position. A through-bore 36 isformed in the movable head member 32, the bore 36 being disposed so asto be aligned with the bores 22 and 24 when the Wrench 10 is in torquingposition and, together with the bores 22 and 24, to encircle the torquehead of the workpiece. A torquing surface 38, comprised of alignedV-shaped teeth and alternating V-shaped grooves, is formed in the bore36 on the side of the bore 36 opposite the shank 34, the torquingsurface 38 being disposed to engage a mating portion of the torquingsurface on the workpiece, As in the case of the torquing surfaces 26 and28, it has been found advantageous to provide a series of four teeth andintermediate grooves in said torquing surface 38, although, again, agreater or lesser number of said teeth and grooves may be provided, asdesired.

A through-bore 40 is formed in the shank 34, said bore 4%) beingdisposed in alignment with the bore 30, and a pin 42 is positioned inthe aligned bores 30 and 40 so as to rotatably and slidably mount themovable head member 32 on and between the head members '14 and 16. Aninternal slot 44 is formed in the shank 34, slot 44 opening into oneside of the bore 40 and curving toward the free end of the shank 34.Disposed in the slot 44 is a spring 46 which is seated on the closedendof the slot 44 and on the pin 42, so as to bias the movable headmember 32 into alignment with the head members 14 and 16.

In operation, the head member 16, the movable *head member 32, and thehead member 14, in that order, are positioned on the torquing surface ofthe workpiece, with the torquing surfaces 26 and 28 of the head members14 and 16 in position on a mating part of the torquing surface of theworkpiece, and the torquing surface 38 of the movable head member 32 inposition on another mating part of the torquing surface of theworkpiece, positioning being readily accomplished by reason of theresilient movability of the movable head member 32. As force is thenapplied to the shank 12 in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 1, alltorquing surfaces of the head members 14, 16 and 32 will be firmlyseated on mating torquing surfaces on the workpiece, and torque will beapplied to the workpiece.

When a torque stroke has been completed audit is de sired to applyfurther torque to the workpiece, movement of the shank 12 in theopposite direction will remove the torquing surfaces of the head members14, 16 and 32 from the torquing surface of the workpiece and the headmembers 14, 16 and 32 will turn on the workpiece in the direction of themovement of the shank 12, the movable head member 32 swinging out oftorquing position by sliding on the pin 42, with the pin 42 beingdisposed in the slot 44 against the biasing action of the spring 46,until another suitable torquing position of the wrench is reached,whereupon application of force to the shank 12 in the original directionwill return the movable head member 32 to its original position, withthe pin 42 again disposed in the bore 40, whereupon the torquing actionis repeated in the manner hereinabove described.

When, after completion of application of torque to the workpiece, it isdesired to remove the wrench from the workpiece, slight movement of theshank 12 in the direction opposite to the torque-producing directionwill cause the movable head member 32 to move against the biasing actionof the spring 46, thus freeing the torquing surface 38 of the movablehead member 32 from its mating torquing surface of the workpiece andpermitting ready removal of the wrench 10.

It will be readily understood that the wrench 10 may be utilized torelease a workpiece by reverse torquing by turning the wrench, applyingthe head member 14, the movable head member 32, and the head member 16,in that order, to the workpiece, and reversing the direction of theapplication of force to the shank 12.

Although the invention has been herein shown and described in what isconceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment thereof, itis recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope ofthe invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosedherein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as toembrace any and all equivalent structures and devices.

I claim:

1. A box wrench which comprises:

(a) a shank;

(b) a pair of cylindrical head members mounted on the shank and spacedapart from each other, said head members having centrally disposedaligned bores therethrough, and said bores being adapted forcircumferential mounting on a torquing surface on a workpiece;

(c) aligned torquing surfaces on a portion of said bores, said torquingsurfaces being adapted to mate with a portion of the torquing surface ofthe workpiece;

(d) a third cylindrical head member pivotally and slidably disposedbetween said pair of head members, said third head member having acentrally disposed bore therethrough adapted for alignment with thebores in said pair of head members; and

(e) a torquing surface on a portion of the bore in said third headmember, said torquing surface being disposed substantially opposite thetorquing surfaces on said pair of head members, and said torquingsurface being adapted to mate with another portion of the torquingsurface of the workpiece.

2. A box wrench as defined in claim 1, including means for resilientlybiasing the third head member into alignment with the pair of headmembers.

3. A box wrench which comprises:

(a) a shank;

(b) a pair of cylindrical head members mounted on the shank and spacedapart from each other, said head members having centrally disposedaligned bores theret-hrough, and said bores being adapted forcircumferential mounting on a torquing surface on a workpiece;

(c) V-shaped teeth and alternating V-shaped grooves formed on portionsof said bores, the teeth and grooves on one head member being alignedwith the teeth and grooves on the other head member and disposed so asto mate with a portion of the torquing surface of the workpiece;

(d) a third cylindrical head member pivotally and slidably disposedbetween said pair of head members, said third head member having acentrally disposed bore therethrough adapted for alignment with thebores in said pair of head members; and

(e) V-shaped teeth and alternating V-shaped grooves formed on a portionof the bore in said third member, said teeth and grooves being disposedsubstantially opposite the teeth and grooves on said pair of headmembers, and said teeth and grooves being adapted to mate with anotherportion of the torquing surface of the workpiece.

4. A box wrench as defined in claim 3, including means for resilientlybiasing the third head member into alignment with the pair of headmembers.

5. A box wrench which comprises:

(a) a shank;

(b) a pair of cylindrical head members mounted on the shank and spacedapart from each other, said head members having centrally disposedaligned bores therethrough, and said bores being adapted forcircumferential mounting on a torquing surface on a workpiece;

(c) V-shaped teeth and alternating V-shaped grooves formed on portionsof said bores adjacent said shank, the teeth and grooves on one headmember being aligned with the teeth and grooves on the other head memberand disposed so as to mate with a portion of the torquing surface of theworkpiece;

(d) a third cylindrical head member disposed between said pair of headmembers, said third head member having a centrally disposed boretherethrough adapted for alignment with the bores in said pair of headmembers;

(e) V-shaped teeth and alternating V-shaped grooves formed on a portionof the bore in said third member, said teeth and grooves being disposedsubstantially opposite the teeth and grooves on said pair of headmembers, and said teeth and grooves being adapted to mate with anotherportion of the torquing surface of the workpiece;

(f) a pin disposed in a bore through the pair of head members and thethird head member, said pin being adapted to pivotally and slidablymount the third head member between said pair of head members;

(g) a slot in said third head member, said slot opening into one side ofthe bore in which said pin is disposed; and

(h) a spring in said slot and abutting on said pin, said spring beingdisposed so as to bias said third head member into alignment with saidpair of head members.

6. A box wrench as defined in claim 5, including shoulders on one sideof the movable head member; and opposed shoulders on corresponding sidesof the head members, the shoulders on the movable head members beingdisposed so as to abut on the shoulders of the head members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,057,614 10/1936Girard 81-3.44 X 2,692,522 10/1954 Reyner 81-186 X 2,703,221 3/1955Gardner 8l-57 X 2,760,392 8/1956 Paget 8153 3,015,245 1/1962 Dracka8l126 3,128,656 4/1964 Dracka 81-98 WILLIAM FELDMAN, Primary Examiner.

MILTON S. MEHR, Examiner.

1. A BOX WRENCH WHICH COMPRISES: (A) A SHANK; (B) A PAIR OF CYLINDRICALHEAD MEMBERS MOUNTED ON THE SHANK AND SPACED APART FROM EACH OTHER, SAIDHEAD MEMBERS HAVING CENTRALLY DISPOSED ALIGNED BORES THERETHROUGH, ANDSAID BORES BEING ADAPTED FOR CIRCUMFERENTIAL MOUNTING ON A TORQUINGSURFACE ON A WORKPIECE; (C) ALIGNED TORQUING SURFACES ON A PORTION OFSAID BORES, SAID TORQUING SURFACES BEING ADAPTED TO MATE WITH A PORTIONOF THE TORQUING SURFACE OF THE WORKPIECE; (D) A THIRD CYLINDRICAL HEADMEMBER PIVOTALLY AND SLIDABLY DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID PAIR OF HEADMEMBERS, SAID THIRD HEAD MEMBER HAVING A CENTRALLY DISPOSED BORETHERETHROUGH ADAPTED FOR ALIGNMENT WITH THE BORES IN SAID PAIR OF HEADMEMBERS; AND (E) A TORQUING SURFACE ON A PORTION OF THE BORE IN SAIDTHIRD HEAD MEMBER, SAID TORQUING SURFACE BEING DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLYOPPOSITE THE TORQUING SURFACES ON SAID PAIR OF HEAD MEMBERS, AND SAIDTORQUING SURFACE BEING ADAPTED TO MATE WITH ANOTHER PORTION OF THETORQUING SURFACE OF THE WORKPIECE.